Faculty of Law

Small, student-oriented classes provide an education that develops skill in problemsolving methodologies and the ability to think.

The original Department of Law was established in the 1967 academic year along with the faculty itself; the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in Law and Policy was established in academic 2009. Both offer a distinctive education. Courses are carefully designed to enable first-year students to adapt easily to university education. Class sizes are restricted so that students benefit from seminars of all kinds and interactive lectures as they progress from year to year. Also, programs are offered to guide students systematically based on their career goals or interests.

Department of Law

The goal of this department is to teach students how to interpret and apply the law to help them think in a legalistic manner and develop the ability to make fair judgments. These abilities will result in drawing correct and appropriate conclusions with regard to specific issues, which will eventually be of benefit to society. Through the traditional study of legal interpretation, students develop the ability to think logically and consider situations from multiple perspectives.
They develop a “legal mind,” learning how to apply legal rules to resolving disputes, and develop the ability to analyze social issues using logic and legal concepts. These are the skills needed to become a lawyer or other type of legal professional, or for a key
position in a company or the government.

Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in Law and Policy

The goal of this department is to teach students law and policy through interdisciplinary studies that combine jurisprudence and political science. Students will gain a strong sense of social awareness and learn to frame issues from a policy point of view. They will become able to apply what they learn so that they can discover issues and take practical steps to resolve them. A curriculum that actively incorporates field research and other forms of experiential learning outside the classroom fosters this ability to uncover policy issues and resolve them.
Such skills are most valuable for going on to work in a government position or in the field of social welfare, to start up a social enterprise, or to become a businessperson with a strong public spirit.

In the coming years, in keeping with the social mission of the university, the faculty will be making ongoing reforms as a means of assuring a quality education, which includes improvements of the first-year curriculum. Further improvements will focus on studentcentered activities to inspire self-motivated study, such as the recently established Policy Planning Contest.